Valentines day

I heard on the breakfast news this morning that Valentines day is big business. Apparently in Britain we each spend an average of £92 on Valentines day gifts and cards. I'm not sure how that figure is calculated. A lot of people don't spend anything, children for instance. Well I didn't spend that much anyway, and I don't think I ever have. That's not to say I'm not romantic, I've had my moments. I have written poems, made cards, and even cooked a romantic meal on one occasion, though as I rememeber the meal turned into a disaster, but that's another story.

My point is that £92 is a lot of money for Valentines day, expecially when one considers the emotional blackmail involved. In case you are in any doubt, I am referring to those people who put pressure on their partner for a Valentines day gesture, even when they know their partner is not the romantic type. Restaurants and florists also seem to take advantage of the emotional blackmail angle and push up their prices. Card shops suddenly seem to explode into various shades of pink and grow thousands of balloons in early February. These aspects of the festival offend me. Why would anyone go out for a meal on Valentines day in a crowded, over-priced restaurant? And another thing, it must be tough on those people who don't have anyone, to see couples everywhere.

Some aspects of Valentines day I really enjoy however. I remember getting cards from secret admirers at school and sending cards of my own. When I was a little older I remember receiving anonymous cards in the mail once or twice. It was fun. So this year I bought a small indoor rose in a pot for my lady, and a card. I gave her the rose last night because I couldn't think of a way to hide it. I gave her the card this morning before I left for work. On the way home I'll pick up the dry cleaning and a tub of chocolate ice-cream. Total cost (not including dry cleaning) about £7. That feels about right as far as I'm concerned.

I'm wondering whether the people cashing in on Valentines day are peeing on their own feet. Last night for instance, as I was browsing cards for the dragon, I met another gentleman doing the same thing, presumably for the lady in his life. He had his young child with him. He picked a card swiftly from the rack, looked at it for a second and told the child, "that'll do, come on". Here's someone fed up with the commercial aspect, not inclined to spend very much, probably as a direct result of the hype. He might have spent more if there was less pressure.

The really bad news today is that parliament essentially gave ID cards the go ahead last night. The government won by around 30 votes despite their 60+ majority. There was a consession made which would mean that further legislation is needed to make them compulsory, but I don't think that means anything since the government claims they were never going to be compulsory anyway. And from 2008 it seems that people applying for new passports are required to register. It's not over yet, the bill gets returned to the Lords now. Also there is the question of money. Apparently there now has to be a full disclosure of costs before anything can go ahead. Today's big vote is whether to ban smoking everywhere. It goes against my libertarian principles to support a smoking ban, but I also think it's anti-social to smoke in enclosed spaces, so I'm happy if they vote to ban it everywhere. I still think it's trivial.

Yes Abby, I understand what getting out of Dodge means. I have plans to avoid getting on the ID card register. Unfortunately, just leaving won't work. I would need a British passport to leave, and they've fixed things so that, from 2008, you can't get one without going on the register. The first step would be to "loose" my current passport some time in 2007. I would then be able to obtain a ten year replacement before the new law comes in. That would take me up to 2017. I would be 50 by then. Another plan would be to apply for Taiwanese citizenship. I would probably get it, but I would have to renounce my British citizenship, and I would do that only as an absolute last resort. I'm hoping that the enormous cost of the project will eventually kill it. It is also possible that the Lords will overturn the passport issue, in which case I don't care about it until they try and make it compulsory. A poll conducted by the BBC this week showed that 80% didn't think it would make Britain any safer. Maybe the public will overturn it like they did with poll tax.

As a post script on teh Valentine issue, I just opened my lunch box and found a Marks and Spencer Mini Love Cake. The dragon must have secreted it in there this morning. This brings me to the conclusion, that Valentines day is what you make it. It's not about buying two dozen red roses at twice the normal price, it's about surprising your loved one with a 99p love cake in his lunch box.